Albert m



(No Model.)

A. M. DooTBR. VENDING MACHINE.

we naam "fins w., mmwrnn.. wnmuuron u c UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT M. DOCTER, OE CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO SAMUEL C. E

ROSENBERG, OF SAME PLACE.

vENDiNc-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 477,356, dated J' une21 1892. i

Application filed October 1,1891.

.T0 all whom t may concern: c

Be it known that I, ALBERT M. DoeTER, a citizen of the United States,residing in Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinventedanew and use-ful Improvement in Vending-Machines, of which thefol` lowing is a specification.

This invention relates to a construction of machine for vendingenvelopes and other articles of merchandise. It is provided With a Wheeldivided into peripheral recesses adapted each to hold one of thearticles to be sold, and this wheel is placed in a surrounding case,which at one point is slotted -to allow the article being vended to betaken out. The movements of the wheel are controlled by mechanism whichwill not allow it to turn, except a coin of the proper size be put intothe slot of the machine. A lever projects to the outside of the case andis operated by the purchaser and serves to move the wheel to the extentnecessary to bring tothe disch arge-slot one of the merchandiseholdingreceptacles of the Wheel.

The nature of my improvements will be fully understood from theaccompanying drawings, wherein- Figure l is a vertical section of themerchandise-carrying Wheel. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the wheelactuating and controlling mechanism, the side of the inclosing case beiing removed. Fig. 3 is a like view to Fig. 2,

showing the reverse side of the mechanism. Fig. et is a centraltransverse section of the wheel and case. Figs. 5 and 6 show a portionof the controlling mechanism in different positions. Fig'. 7 is asection of the under side of the case, showing the manner of locking themachine when the contents of the wheel have all been sold.

In the drawings, A represents the periphery of the case, such peripheryconforming to the circle and diameter of the Wheel, so as to conne inthe receptacles of the latter the articles to be sold. The periphery isslotted at a for the discharge ofthe merchandise.

B and B are the sides of the case, and b is i the money-receptacle atthe bottom.

C is the vending-wheel provided with receptacles c, which may be thespaces formed between radiating wings c', as shown. The re- `ingmovement of the detent L.

Serial No. 407,391. (No model.)

ratchet-wheel E, adapted to be actuated in turning the Wheel C. F is ahandlever projecting through the slot f of the casing A and having alimited range of movement determined by the length of the slot. It isloosely journaled upon shaft D, and its normal position is that shown atFig. 3, a spring d being employed to maintain it in this position andalso to retract it after it has been actuated by a purchaser.

e is a slot in the casing A for the insertion of the coin, and said slotopens into a chute G H I. f This chute is preferably made with the partG inclined, the part H nearly vertical, and the part I reverselyinclined, as shown. Projecting to the interior of the part I of thechute is a foot or stop J and also a set-screw j, serving to contractthe passage and eo-'operate with the foot J in detaining the coin. Thefoot J is supported upon the end of an arm K, joined to aswinging orpivoted detent L, supported upon the part G of the chute. Y The detent Lis nearly balanced upon the supporting-pivot g, so that when a coin isput into the machine it will fall upon the foot J, and by its gravitycause a swing- The foot J projects through the transversely-inclinedslot e' of the part H of the chute, and when the coin falls upon it itdrops from the position shown in Fig. 5 to that shown in Fig. 6 anddetains the coin in the latter position. This downward movement of thefoot raises the operating-point m of the detent-lever from between theteeth of the ratchet-Wheel E, so that the Wheel is then at liberty toturn. Upon the lever E is a paWl Naud a spring n, pressing said pawl ina direction to keep it in engagement with the ratchet-Wheel, and throughthis pawl the purchaser, when he de- ICO ceeding tooth.

presses lever F, moves the wheel to expose a fresh merchandisereceptacle at the discharge-opening a. rlhe wheel, however, is heldrigidly against actuation by thelever by the detent-point m until aproper coin is inserted and said point is lifted out of the wheel, asalready described. After the lever has been depressed the pawl N slipsover a tooth of the ratchet-wheel, when the lever returns automatically7to its normal position with the pawl in position to actuate the snc- Astop pin O, stationarily supported, may be employed to insure the properpositioning of the pawl for the next operation should the spring n failto do its duty in this regard, lthe pawl being provided with an upwardextension adapted to come in contact with said stop-pin, as fullyillustrated.

' To discharge the coin from the position in which it is detained, asillustrated by Fig. 6, I provide a detent-lever P, pivoted stationarilyat 10 and acted upon by a spring o. The free end of this detent-lever isadapted by its construction to lock the ratchet-wheel against movementin the backward direction, as plainly illustrated, and upon its forwardface it is rounded, so that when the wheel is turned by the lever thenext tooth in order will lift the detent P. The rounded end is extendedupward sufficiently so that the swinging detent-lever L rests upon itwhen said detent L is lifted out of the ratchet-Wheel. It will now beseen that when the ratchet-wheel is turned by the purchaser thedetent-lever P will be allowed to fall momentarily into the spacebetween the teeth of the ratchet a somewhat farther distance than thatillustrated in Fig. 6, thus allowing the detent L to swing still furtherunder the gravity of the coin, and such further movement carries thefoot J far enough to allow the coin to drop through the lower portion ofthe chute into the coin-receptacle b. The further movement of the wheelcauses, also, a lifting of the detent-lever P, when the next tooth comesin contact with the rounded front thereof, and thereby also swings thedetent L back to its normal position (given at Fig. 5) and locking thewheel against forward rotation, while the detent P engages with thetooth which has just lifted it and locks the wheel against backwardmovement. Should an inferior coin be inserted in the chute, it willcarry the foot J down a sufficient distance to allow it to pass through,but will not be detained by the foot and the set-screw, as is a coin ofthe proper denomination. The detent L will thus only be momentarilyraised and perhaps not far enough to free it entirely from the ratchet,so that there is no sufficient opportunity given for the imparting ofany movement to the wheel of the machine.

lt is very important that the detent L should be very nearly evenlybalanced, so that the weight of the coin will insure its swinging andovercome the gravity of its operating-point m, and in order that thisslight power-may not be prevented from moving the detent I cause thepawl N upon Ithe lever F to return the ratchet-wheel, if it shall havemoved too far, to a position which leaves the point m free of actualcontact with the teeth between which it enters, so that the gravity ofthe coin is not handicapped by any friction between the point m and theteeth of the ratchet.

Vhen the wheel has been emptied of all the merchandise placed in it, lprovide means for the sounding of an audible signal, and also for theclosing of the coin-slot, so that no more coin can be put into thema'chine. Upon the face of the ratchet-wheel is a cam Q, which at theproper time comes in contact with and moves a lever R, pivoted on shaftD,the normal position of which lever is shown in the drawings. One endof this lever projects through the bottom of case A, and is detained ina lateral enlargement s of the slot S in the case through which itprojects. A spring T draws this end of the lever R and carries it to theend of the slot whenever it is dislodged from the lateral enlargement ornotch s. The cam Q is adapted to effect this dislodgment by its contactwith the lower end of the lever when the wheel has been rotatedsufficiently to bring it in contact with the lever. A hammer fu, carriedby the lever, will now strike and sound the bell V. The lever R is alsoprolonged upwardly into the neighborhood of the coin-slot e, and it isthere provided with a projecting guard W, adapted when the lever R isswung by its spring to close said coin-slot. This movement of the leverR is IOC made to perform a still further function by the addition to itof a laterally-projecting pin 3 andthe provision of laterally-projectingrib 4 upon the point m of detent L, said pin entering under the rib andlifting the detent from out of the ratchet-wheel whenever the lever R isswung by spring T, so that while this condition of things remains theWheel may be freely turned for refilling the box or receptacle.

In order to remove the coin, the wheel and its case are hinged. to themoney-receptacle b, as shown at 5, and at the farther side of thereceptacle from such hinge a lock 6 may be employed to prevent theopening of the receptacle. By releasing the lock the wheel and case maybe turned upwardly on the hinge, so as to give full access to the top ofthe money-receptacle.

I claim- 1. In a vending-machine, the combination, with themerchandise-conveying wheel, of a ratchet and detent for locking saidwheel, means for positioning the ratchet so as to avoid contact betweenits teeth and the detent, and a coin-chute having a movable stopmechanically connected and releasing; said detent and actuated by theweight of the coin, substantially as set forth.

IIO

2. In a vending-machine, the combination, with the merchandise-carryingWheel, of a ratchet and a nearly-balanced swinging detent for lockingsaid Wheel, means for positioning the ratchet so as to avoid contactbetween its teeth and the detent, and a coinchute having a movable stopmechanically connected to and releasing said detentandv actuated by theWeight of the coin, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with a vending-machine, of an alarm-bell, a movablelever for sounding such alarm, the spring T, the case having the slot,and notch s normally detain- ALBERT M. DOCTER.

Witnesses EMMA HACK, H. M. MUNDAY.

